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Wills Creek near Cumberland

Highest listed crest 23.11 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft38 crests since 1924

The Wills Creek near Cumberland crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 38 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1924 to 2025. The highest, 23.11 ft on January 19, 1996, was major flooding, 13.11 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
23.11 ft
January 19, 1996; 45,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
6
14th of 108 gauges in Maryland
Most recent flood crest
May 14, 2025
14.12 ft, major flooding
Location
Allegany County
Near Cumberland (2.0 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Wills Creek near Cumberland
Action stage9.012Nov 29, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.012Sep 9, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.02Apr 26, 1937Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.06May 14, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

38 crests from 1924 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Wills Creek near Cumberland, 1924 to 2025 510152025ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Mar 29, 1924: 13.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 17, 1936: 20.20 ft, major flooding; 38,100 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1937: 13.45 ft, moderate floodingOct 15, 1942: 15.14 ft, major flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 9.17 ft, action stage; 8,650 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1953: 9.47 ft, action stage; 9,280 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1954: 10.70 ft, minor flooding; 11,900 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1960: 10.29 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1964: 9.22 ft, action stage; 8,690 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1970: 9.23 ft, action stage; 8,710 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 10.06 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1975: 9.15 ft, action stage; 9,140 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1979: 9.18 ft, action stage; 9,150 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1980: 9.74 ft, action stage; 10,500 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1981: 9.57 ft, action stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1983: 9.79 ft, action stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 10.80 ft, minor flooding; 13,100 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1984: 14.94 ft, major flooding; 23,970 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 9.10 ft, action stage; 8,970 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1993: 11.73 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1993: 10.26 ft, minor flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 23.11 ft, major flooding; 45,900 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1996: 11.54 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1996: 8.87 ft, below flood stage; 8,390 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2003: 8.71 ft, below flood stage; 7,970 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2004: 9.90 ft, action stage; 10,900 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2005: 11.41 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 2005: 9.06 ft, action stage; 9,110 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2008: 8.73 ft, below flood stage; 6,660 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2009: 8.92 ft, below flood stage; 6,980 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 10.85 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 10.96 ft, minor flooding; 10,820 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 7.77 ft, below flood stageMay 18, 2011: 8.66 ft, below flood stageOct 30, 2012: 10.27 ft, minor flooding; 9,433 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2018: 11.57 ft, minor flooding; 12,118 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 14.11 ft, major flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2025: 14.12 ft, major flooding; 17,151 cubic feet per second Highest, 23.11 ft, Jan 19, 1996 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Wills Creek near Cumberland 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 2 1990s: 4 4 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 2020s: 2 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Wills Creek near Cumberland
1Jan 19, 199623.11+13.11Major45,900
2Mar 17, 193620.20+10.20Major38,100
3Oct 15, 194215.14+5.14Major23,300
4Aug 13, 198414.94+4.94Major23,970
5May 14, 202514.12+4.12Major17,151
6Sep 2, 202114.11+4.11Major18,300
7Apr 26, 193713.45+3.45Moderate—
8Mar 29, 192413.00+3.00Moderate—
9Apr 16, 199311.73+1.73Minor15,400
10Sep 9, 201811.57+1.57Minor12,118
11Sep 6, 199611.54+1.54Minor14,900
12Mar 29, 200511.41+1.41Minor14,600
13Mar 11, 201110.96+0.96Minor10,820
14Mar 13, 201010.85+0.85Minor10,600
15Feb 14, 198410.80+0.80Minor13,100
16Oct 16, 195410.70+0.70Minor11,900
17May 8, 196010.29+0.29Minor11,000
18Oct 30, 201210.27+0.27Minor9,433
19Nov 28, 199310.26+0.26Minor11,800
20Jun 23, 197210.06+0.06Minor11,300
21Sep 9, 20049.90−0.10Action10,900
22Jun 21, 19839.79−0.21Action10,600
23Apr 9, 19809.74−0.26Action10,500
24Apr 13, 19819.57−0.43Action10,100
25May 31, 19539.47−0.53Action9,280
26Apr 2, 19709.23−0.77Action8,710
27Apr 29, 19649.22−0.78Action8,690
28Mar 5, 19799.18−0.82Action9,150
29Mar 11, 19529.17−0.83Action8,650
30Mar 19, 19759.15−0.85Action9,140
31Nov 5, 19859.10−0.90Action8,970
32Nov 29, 20059.06−0.94Action9,110
33May 4, 20098.92−1.08Below flood stage6,980
34Nov 8, 19968.87−1.13Below flood stage8,390
35Mar 5, 20088.73−1.27Below flood stage6,660
36Jan 1, 20038.71−1.29Below flood stage7,970
37May 18, 20118.66−1.34Below flood stage—
38Apr 17, 20117.77−2.23Below flood stage—

Other gauges in Allegany County

Flood gauges in Allegany County
Franklin/Westernport9.115.20 ft, May 13, 20252
Cumberland17.029.20 ft, Jun 1, 18899
Luke10.517.15 ft, Oct 15, 19544
Paw Paw25.054.00 ft, Mar 18, 19368
Oldtown14.019.00 ft, Mar 17, 19360

Allegany County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Maryland

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CWCM2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.